GOLD COAST, QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA –Team Brazil beat the bulls and the rest of the world to take out bull riding’s momentous inaugural World Cup, held for the first time in history, on the Gold Coast, in Australia; the Jupiters Casino PBR World Cup.

Host country for the event next year, Brazil put three exclamation marks on a bull riding barrage that dominated the PBR World Cup from the outset. The men of steel were always going to win, because, said captain Adriano Moraes, “we are solid.”

The Brazilians came to Australia’s Gold Coast ready for the Jupiters Casino PBR World Cup in peak physical fitness, uninjured, and riding to take home the top honour’s bragging rights as the best bull riding country on earth.

It was a concentrated, out-and-out clean up for the boldfaced, we’re-here-to-win, five man team who amassed 1,462 points; 193.50 clear of their nearest rival, Canada.

Another triumph for the history making three times PBR World Champion, and Brazil team captain, Adriano Moraes couldn’t have been prouder of his team, or for the country of Brazil.

“I fee great,” he said when presented, side by side with his team, the prize-winning $100,000 cheque from the winner-takes-all competition.

“One more World Championship and a good start to my future career as a coach.

“I would like to thank the PBR for the opportunity to come to the ‘land down under’ and show them the sport of bull riding, how good we are, and prove that we are the best in the world.”

For PBR World Cup contenders Canada and the U.S., it was a see-sawing night of competition which, in the end, resulted in the teams claiming the same positions they had on the two previous nights, second and third respectively. Canada’s final score was 1,268.50 points; the U.S. followed with 1,197.75 points.

The only upset to the Jupiters Casino PBR World Cup’s final night standings, which had stayed the same through the first and second nights of competition, was Mexico’s move from fifth to fourth position ending with 1,139.25 points, and Australia dropping a spot to fifth place with 873.75 points.

The scoring format for bull riding’s newest international competition, the six-round, three- night, PBR World Cup, requires team captains to choose three scores, from a possible five, per round. The bull riding leaders sweat it out in equal parts to their teams of five, forced to make on the spot decisions, at the time of a scoring ride, to keep it or let it go.

In the first round of the final night of the Jupiters Casino PBR World Cup, three out of four of Mexico and Brazil’s first four riders scored. They were accepted by respective team captains, McDonald and Moraes, making the fifth ride for each country redundant, apart from the riders’ individual chance to contest the night’s $5,000 bonus for the highest scoring ride.

In a weekend filled with strategy and determined tactics, it was an interesting turn from the Brazilian team captain who, only the night before, did exactly the opposite and turned down a score.

Last night, Moraes gave the double thumbs up to his team’s third scoring ride, 86.5 points from Guilherme Marchi on Matt Adam’s Rodeo Company’s Eight Mile, at a time when he still had Valdiron de Oliveira in the wings, the highest scoring rider from Saturday night’s competition.

De Oliveira bettered the taken score from Marchi, riding Diamond J Rodeo Company’s Tuxedo for 88.5 points, but Team Brazil could not make use of it. Moraes was unrepentant, confident he had made the right decision.

When asked why he changed course, Moraes replied, “Because I trust my riders, but I cannot trust the bulls.”

Rocky McDonald should have been the last rider for Mexico but the team captain, out with an injury from the night before, decided not to turn out another of his team for a ride that didn’t count.

Team USA stubbed their toe, scoring only three of their five rides but it was Kasey Hayes’ 83 points on Matt Adam’s Rodeo Company’s 327 that temporarily moved the USA into second position. Brian Canter scored twice for his country in the first round, posting 82.5 points on JP Gill & Sons’ Genesis Ransom, and later, filling in for injured Mike Lee, showed he was all heart, scoring 82.75 points on another JP Gill and Sons’ bull, 030.

Team Canada scored only two of their five rides in the first round, 83 points from Justin Volz on Gary McPhee’s How U Doin’; but it was their without equal, PBR World Cup five-out-of-five scoring rider, Scott Schiffner, who scored 86 points on George Hepenstall’s Cream Puff, which took Canada back to the number two spot.

In disappointing form on their home turf, Team Australia posted only one score in the first round, evidence that the first two nights of competition had taken their toll. All the Aussies were carrying some damage, but team mate Tim Wilson was out from the back injury suffered Saturday night and favourite Brendon Clark had to ride with a broken thumb. Jared Farley, Friday night’s individual highest scoring rider, delivered for the home country posting 81.25 points on Hall Rodeo Bucking Bulls’ Silver Back, a bull he had ridden the previous evening for 83.25 points.

In the sixth and final round of the Jupiters Casino PBR World Cup the bulls took charge, leaving battered and bruised riders in their wake. With an indisputable lead by Team Brazil, all that was left for the rest of the world was to do their best. And while they tried, the rankest bulls in Australia proved their might.

In round two of the evening’s competition Mexico’s Hugo Pedrero was the first to take a beating. He scored 77 on Kent Hansen’s Big Dan with an offer of a re-ride but the Doctor deemed him unfit to take it.

The Mexicans scored only once in the second round, and it was from a courageous Gerardo Venegas who rode three times for his country. He rode in his own name first, and was offered a re-ride on Stuart Timm’s Little Zorro, but declined. He was out of the chute again, replacing team captain and colleague, Rocky McDonald on Kent Hansen’s Booger Red. When the bull failed to perform, Venegas received another re-ride on the same bull. He accepted and eventually scored 80.5 points.

Stuart Timm’s bull, Danger Mouse, literally went head to head with Adrian Ferreiro colliding with the Mexican’s face who exited the arena bleeding. Ferreiro, who had been stamped on the cheek with a bull hoof on Friday night, suffered further grazing to his neck.

For the Australians, the man with the dance, Ben Jones was the only Australian to score in the second round, posting an impressive 89.5 points on Matt Adam’s Rodeo Company bull, Loco.

Kevin Connolly turned out three times for Team Australia in the second round, stepping in for injured Tim Wilson, and was offered a re-ride after scoring only 72.5 points on Matt Adam’s Rodeo Company’s Hog Wart. He failed to score.

Team captain Troy Dunn put the Aussie’s crown prince, Jared Farley on Australia’s bull to beat, Cloud Nine, but the bull reigned supreme.

Team captain Troy Dunn said at the end of the night, “I’ve got some hurt fellas out there, it’s been hard for them, but I’m proud of them.”

Team USA came within striking distance again of second place in the second round when their first rider out, Willy Ropp, scored 86 points on Gary McPhee’s Blue Jeans. Unfortunately he was the only rider to score in the second round dashing America’s hope of a win.

It was Canada’s Aaron Roy who cemented his country’s second place getting and scored 92.5 points, the highest of the night, on Frank Biddle’s Rocky Road. Roy took a serious shot from the livid bull, being stomped in the chest and face, but won the night’s $5,000 bonus.

Justin Volz came through again for Team Canada in the second round, posting 86.7 points on JP Gill & Sons’ White Diamond.

Tyler Thomson got into trouble on one of the best performing bulls of the second round, Paul Barron’s Champagne. Thomson was hung into his bull rope and body slammed against the arena’s steel fencing.

Canada’s anchor man and star performer, Scott Schiffner fell short of a perfect six-out-of-six rides, getting unseated on his final outing, by John P Gill and Sons’ Coppa Del Rio.

For Team Brazil the red hot Paulo Crimber scored a blistering 90 points on Gary McPhee’s Bodacious. And, while superstar Guilherme Marchi was unseated by the Jupiters Casino PBR World Cup Bull Of The Event, Gary McPhee’s, Matrix, it was their Robson Palermo, a bull rider self-taught by watching TV and videos, who took the last scoring ride of the Jupiters Casino PBR World Cup on Frank Biddle’s unpredictable Sand & Gravel, scoring 89 points.

It was a fitting finale and fairy tale finish for Brazil, the greatest bull riding country on earth.

INJURY REPORT:
Queensland Ambulance:
Canada’s Aaron Roy – bleeding nose, nil deformity, slight graze
Mexico’s Adrian Ferreiro – graze to neck

Dr William Anseline:
Mexico’s Hugo Pedrero – right plank soft tissue injury; soft tissue neck injury, conservative treatment; recommended not to ride
Canada’s Tanner Girletz – soft tissue injury to left hip; conservative treatment; rode again

OVERALL EVENT RESULTS
Team Brazil: 1462 points
Team Canada: 1268.5 points
Team U.S.: 1197.75
Team Mexico: 1139.25
Team Australia: 873.75

HIGHEST SCORING RIDE BONUS WINNER - $5,000
Friday Jared Farley (Australia) 92.0 points
Saturday Valdiron de Oliveira (Brazil) 89.75 points
Sunday Aaron Roy (Canada) 92.5 points

BULL OF THE EVENT
Gary McPhee’s Matrix
*NB – Gary Mcphee owned legendary Australian bull, Chainsaw